Mechanical counters are used in many applications, and often require more than one counter driven by the same input for registering events occurring in different time periods. For example, it is common practice in automotive vehicles to display total vehicle mileage on a main mechanical number wheel counter called a season or total distance odometer, and to display mileage for a short period on another mechanical counter, called a trip odometer, which is resettable at the beginning of the period. The total distance odometer is driven by a motor which is responsive to vehicle wheel rotation. A central shaft of the odometer rotates according to the motor input, and one end of the shaft extends outside the odometer frame to drive the trip odometer. Accordingly, the trip odometer has a central shaft with an outer end for attachment to the total distance odometer shaft. Then the motor input effectively drives both counters simultaneously. Where the trip odometer is to be placed on the left side of the total distance odometer, its exposed shaft end must be on the right side, and vice versa. The same consideration applies to the total distance odometer. Thus both counters are designed specifically for only left or right hand orientation of the trip odometer. A separate inventory of parts must be provided for the right and left hand configurations. In addition, only one trip odometer can be coupled to the total distance odometer.